lectures/research

How to do Research - An Electronic Approach!

GOAL

find correct subject headings / descriptors
locate appropriate electronic databases - descriptions!!!
export research materials
start organizing research

KEYWORD SEARCH STRATEGY:

My research is on "The Effect of Television on Children"

CONCEPT A CONCEPT B CONCEPT C
------------------- --------------------- -------------------
effect television children
OR OR
result AND media AND
OR OR
consequence tv
OR OR
crime advertising

LOCATING ELECTRONIC DATABASES:

From Keyword to Subject Search
Locate FirstSearch - OCLC
< Online Resources >
< Alphabetical List of Online Resources >
< F >
< FirstSearch - OCLC >
Enter Search => television and children [using keywords from step #1]
select a Topic or a Database
< Public Affairs & Law >
< Search >
Result
12,000 WorldCat - Catalogs of 36,000 libraries worldwide
400 PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) encompasses chronicling /
global public policy / social issues
150 FactSearch - facts and statistics on topics of current interest
90 GPO (Government Printing Office) - U. S. government publications
30 LegalPeriodical - international legal information covering all areas of
jurisprudence
You may combine three databases, mark:
PAIS / FactSearch / LegalPeriodicals
< Select >
rank by < Relevance >
< Search >
You will notice 469 records / citations to look at
Find your way back to the original FirstSearch screen
< Suggested Best > on the left
Select one more topic from: Select a Topic or a Databases:
< Social Science >
< List >
The results show more than 15,000 records / citations
To get an overall view search the other 13 topics also
(believe me, this exercise is worth IT!).

Select < Social Science Abstracts > refine your search to:
television and children and effect
rank by < Relevance >
< Search >

SUBJECT HEADINGS / DESCRIPTORS:

To locate subject headings or descriptions open 10 or more records,
scroll down to the Subject / Descriptor field:
Violence in television
Television and children
Moral development
Reasoning
Descriptors:
Television programs-psychological aspects
Television advertising Laws and regulations
Television advertising and children

Getting Subject Headings from Print Sources - (located behind the
Information Desk):
CINAHL Subject Heading List
LC Subject Headings - "red books" (another set is at the
General Reading area)
Medical Subject Heading - Annotated Alphabetical List
Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms

EXPORTING RESEARCH MATERIALS:

Select & open an abstracts or full-text article:
To e-mail: < E-mail >
enter your e-mail address
to begin organize your research label the Subject box with
tv-ef-1 (2, 3, etc.) e.g. for articles on the effect of television
on children
tv-ef-bibl-1 (2, 3, etc.) e.g. for bibliographies on this subject
To print:
when printing from OCLC - make sure that you use the
OCLC < print > icon!!!
= saves paper & ink = $$$ < Cancel > on the print box
< File >
< Print Preview >
a l w a y s check the number of pages your article has,
especially the last page !!!!!!!
= saves more money enter the number pages you need to print!!!
< O. K. >

To download:
To download "List of Records"
< Export >
< Export >
To download an article:
< View HTML Full Text (WilsonSelectPlus) >
< File >
< Save As >
Change to drive A:
if saving to a floppy
< change "HTML" to "Plaintext" > where necessary !!!
enter your file name:
< Save >

ORGANIZING YOUR RESEARCH:

1. after printing your articles write the author's last name on the long side
next alphabetize them by authors
2. as you read underline / highlight keywords
3. when finished reading each article start making a list of all keywords
4. match keywords with similar ideas and organize them into an outline
5. start with your bibliography when you read an article and decided to use
start your bibliography NOW !!! - take your sweet time!
don't forget volume # issue # etc.

Updated: January 2003

James White Library HOME Andrews University